Dear Friends,
IMCRA has been mobilizing to respond globally and effectively to the coronavirus crisis via native-language instructional video modules. The importance of this intervention lies in the fact that the disease is most effectively spread when people are unaware of its origins, symptoms, mode of transmission, and morbidity. Worse, when people utilize ineffective measures to combat the disease its spread is again promoted. By using internationally accessible smartphone technology to detail the hard medical realities of coronavirus in plain terms, IMCRA, via the PIVAT program, is striving to stem the spread (and danger of further mutations into other novel forms) of the disease in China and elsewhere.
Approximately two months ago the coronavirus was identified as a major health threat in China. The first reported case of what is now called COVID-19 (“COVI” for coronavirus, “D” for disease,” and “19” for identification year) appeared in the city of Wuhan in early December 2019 and may have originated from an animal source associated with an exotic foods market in that city. The virus itself is properly a SARS-CoV-2 entity and the primary concern is the ease with which it can be transmitted from person to person. Coronavirus have been known for many years, however COVID-19 is a novel mutant of this virus and is incompletely understood at present. Other coronaviruses can also cause more serious diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) has noted that the virus may be transmitted through the skin and can potentially be contracted from airbourne sources. In consequence, CDC recommends that the best preventative measures involve: 1) washing hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer if soap and water aren’t available, 2) Covering coughs and sneezes with an immediately disposable tissue, 3) Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands, 4) Rest, fluids and self-quarantine if symptoms appear, 4) Cleaning and disinfecting high-traffic surfaces and objects with disinfection towelettes. IMCRA additionally recommends using preventative measures (e.g. surgical gloves) when handling money, holding handrails on stairs and escalators, and touching any surfaces that are exposed to high human contact (e.g. public touchscreens). It is unclear at present whether the use of surgical masks in public will prevent airbourn infection.
While it's hoped that the infection rate will diminish with warmer weather, (viral respiratory diseases are generally more vibrant and powerful in cool, dry air), it is unknown whether this will be the case with COVID-19. Thus, the PIVAT approach to international disease control is to get the basic preventative and treatment measures across to people rapidly, globally and in simple native-language terms in provocative and engaging modules easily accessible by smartphone and computer. While the disease can be deadly, especially to people over 60 (e.g. of the 8 reported COVID-19 fatalities in Beijing, 7 were over 60) taking appropriate measures to understand and counteract the venues for infection can put an emergency brake on its spread. Your generous financial help in getting this material recorded and online to the people who need it will go a long way to stemming the tide of COVID-19 wordwide.
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Today (17 September 2019) is World Patient Safety Day.
The United Nations has undertaken a global campaign to create awareness of patient safety and urge people to show their commitment to making healthcare safer. This WHO-sponsored initiative underscores the importance of IMCRA programs like PIVAT which are designed to: 1) make medically-vetted and approriate intervention possible by educating first responders, 2) enable approrpriate care to be available to victims of medical mishaps rapidly and in their native language. The PIVAT system is applicable both at the site of a medical emergency as well as in the ambulance or clinic where primary care is administered.
Surprisingly, 134 million medical adverse events occur each year due to unsafe care onsite and in clinics in locations where poorly-trained or untrained medical personnel are found; this primarily in low- and middle-income countries where poor intial patient care contributes to 2.6 million deaths annually. While four out of 10 patients are harmed in the primary and ambulatory settings, up to 80% of this harm can be avoided. Finally, fully 15% of hospital expenses can be attributed to patient safety failures in OECD countries.
IMCRA is committed to eradicating this gross imbalance in the quality of patient care by providing instant access to primary care procedures in an easily-understood form provided by some of the foremost healthcare practitioners in the world. IMCRA is an enthusiastic participant in WHO's World Patient Safety Day and will continue to advocate for effective initial patient care indefinitely. Please see https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-patient-safety-day/2019 and help us to both enhance and spread the effectiveness of the PIVAT program worldwide. It is badly needed in so many places where suffering is both unrelieved and often increased by absent or inappropriate medical care. Thank you
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Dear Friends,
It's not always easy to convey some fundamental realities to our supporters. Nonetheless, one reality we have been dealing with for many months now is an inability to snare a major grant to fund this very important and innovative project.
This roadblock hasn't been for lack of trying, or anything other than determined and skilful approaches. Since last September, IMCRA has applied for no fewer than 13 grants; and in each case we've selected a grantor whose goals, mission and requirements have matched precisely the goals, mission and needs of PIVAT. Unfortunately and frustratingly in each case, despite well-composed, informative and comprehensive applications, bolstered by engaging supportive materials, these applications have been dismissed with little more than a generic form letter.
In most cases such communications note the "large number of applications" received. We find this a tremendously inappropriate excuse for a form letter since the value and importance of an individual project bears no relation to the number of applications received. PIVAT stands alone and above other favored projects as it answers a critical and always-pressing need in a way no other program has to date anywhere around the world.
By affording those first on the scene in a medical emergency the chance to access medical professional-approved advice and instructions for rapid therapeutic intervention, well before any EMT becomes available, countless lives may be saved and long-term complications avoided. This need is overwhelmingly the case in rural areas around the world where professional help may be hours or days in coming, if it arrives at all.
At IMCRA we know how important this program is and so will continue to redouble our efforts to secure a large enough grant (>$5,000.00) to enable the launch of this system worldwide. However in the meanwhile we would greatly appreciate your continued support in whatever amount you can afford; and in the event that any of our friends have knowledge of a granting agency which would rapidly and sincerely commit to supporting the PIVAT program we would be overwhelmingly grateful to hear from you. Any insights of this nature should be relayed to our executive director, Dr. Thomas G. Hedberg at hedberg@imcra.org.
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Dear Friends,
As of 03:00 AM this morning a serious 6.6 earthquake struck the area around Sapporo Japan. Apparently there is widespread destruction and disruption of needed services. This comes at a particularly bad time for Japan which has been locked in the grip of a severe heat wave all summer.
IMCRA has had extensive experience dealing with the Kumamoto and 3-11 earthquake/tsunami in Japan and now intends to mobilize the PIVAT program to meet the needs of isolated communities (like hard-hit Atsuma) which now have lost access to medical services.
Because aftershocks are expected to continue for a week or more we want to get our system up and avaialable to all people in need as soon as possible. Any help you can offer in this regard will be appreciated.
Sincerely,
The IMCRA PIVAT Medical Team
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